Washing apparatus.



H. E. I-LAGK L J. LEGHICH.

WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15,1913, 3?@979@ l P Patented May 19, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

n ttomaa sa H. E. FLAGK a J. LEGHIGH.

WASHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1913.

Patented May 19, 1914:.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.0@ MMWR @u vento :A m C253 @wi/hause@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. FLACK AND JOHN LECHICH, OF POTSDAM, NEW YORK.

WASHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY E. FLAcK and JOHN13150111011, citizens of the United States, residing at Potsdam, in thecounty of St. Lawrence and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in lVashing Apparatus, of .which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to apparat-us for use in washing automobiles,carriages, and the like, and has as its object to provide appa.-

ratus for this purpose which may be conveniently employed and Which willapply water to the surface to be cleaned and will scrub the surfacewithout the likelihood of dirty water being splashed over the 011e usingthe apparatus or over parts of the vehicle which it is not desirable toWet.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus for thepurpose mentioned, including a rotary brush, means for rotating thebrush actuated by the Water supplied to the surface to be cleaned, thewater being discharged in a film which surrounds the brush.

lVe are aware of the fact that it is old to provide, in Washingapparatus, a rotary brush driven by Water power and supplied with waterwhich has passed through a motorfor driving the brush. However, as faras we are aware, in all such constructions, the water is dischargeddirectly onto the brush and the brush, in rotating will throw off thewater in all directions due to centrifugal force. Such apparatus,however, is b-y no means adapted for use in washing automobiles andAother vehicle bodies, for the water thrown oif by the brush will, unlessthe brush is used with extreme care7 be liable to wet parts of thevehicle body which it is not desired to Wash, and will furthermore, Wetsurrounding objects and very probably the user of the apparatus.v Asheet metal or similar guard partly surrounding the brush cannot beemployed with success for the reason that it is liable to come incontact with the vehicle body and scrape or rotherwise mar the finishthereof. Consequently, the present inventionv aims to provide in suchapparatus, means for supplying water to the brush in such manner thatthe brush in its rotative movement will not be liable to throw off thewater so as to Wet surrounding objects or parts of the vehicle bodyother than those to the surface of which the brush is applied.

In accomplishing the above mentioned aim of the invention, we propose todischarge the water from the apparatus, after it has passed through themotor for actuating the brush, in a film which surrounds the brush andis spaced therefrom, the water being discharged with sufficient force torenderthe film strong enough to resist penetration by any water whichmay be discharged from the brush by centrifugal force.

A further aim of the invention is to provide means for impartingvertical movement to the water as it is discharged in a film in orderthat the film .will close beyond the end of the brush.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is aperspective view illustrating the` apparatus in use. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view in detail through the apparatus.Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the motor with certain of the parts disassembled.Fig. G is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the wateris discharged to form a film surrounding the brush of the apparatus.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the vie-ws of the accompanying drawingsby the same reference characters.

Briefly stated, the apparatus consists of a water motor, the rotor ofwhich is provided with a tubular shaft which carries for rotation acombined nozzle and brush support, the said shaft serving as a means forconveying water to the nozzle as it is exhausted from the motor.

The motor above mentioned includes a substantially cylindrical casing linto one end of which is threaded a head 2 having an intake pipe 3extending therefrom. The pipe 3 is connected by a union t to a nipple 5to which an ordinaryhose G may be attached. At its other end, the casing1 of the motor is provided with a tubular eXtension 7 which constitutesa hand-grip, as will be presently explained. The Casing head 2 isprovided with an annular flange 8 in which is removably fitted a disk 9having obliquely extending ports 10 formed in its edges. The ports l()are located at suitable intervals, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and allare inclined in t e` same dlrection. 'L Fhe rotor of the motor includesa cyllndrical body 11 having a tubular shaft 12 extending from one endthereof. The shell 11 has fixed withinit the rotor proper, which1ncludes a hub 13 having vanes 14 extending therefrom to the wall of theshell 11 By referring to Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawmg, it will be seenthat the vanes 14 are substantially of ogee form and are disposedoblquely, thereby forming. between them spiral passages. In assemblmgthe rotor 1n the casing 1, the tubular shaft 12 1s lnserted into thetubular extension 7 of the motor casing 1 and the shell 11 ofthe wall isrotatably received within the said casing. The head 2 of the casing isthen fitted into place and when properly assembled has its flange 8fitting within the major end of the shell 11 and slightly spaced fromthe vanes 14. It will now be apparent that water supplied to the motor`through the pipe 3 will issue through the ports 10 and strike theconcave faces of the vanes 14 thereby imparting rotary movement totherotor and its shaft 12. The exhaust water will flow through the saidshaft 12, as will be apparent. In order that the rotor may rotatefreely, a bearing ring l5 is fitted upon the shaft 12 at its juncturewith the wall of the shell 11 and is provided with a ball-race 16 inwhich are arranged bearing balls 17. These balls are also received in aball-race 18 which is formed by stamping out the tubular member 7 at itsjuncture with the motor casing 1.

As before stated, the pipe 12 is intended to supply water to a nozzleone member of which it supports and the construction and arrangement ofthe nozzle will now be described.

At its outer end the tubular extension 7 of. the motor casing isincreased in'diameter, as indicated at 19 and provided with a ball-race20 in which are arranged bearing balls 21. The shaft 12 is exteriorlythreaded as at 22 near its outer end and fitted upon its said portion isa bearing cone 23 co-acting with the bearing balls 21. This cone is heldin place by means of a lock-collar 24 also threaded upon the shaft.Beyond its threaded portion 22, the shaft is exteriorly threaded as at25 to receive the rotatable member of the nozzle. The fixed member orcasing of the nozzle is in the nature of a substantially frusto-conicalbody or shell 26 pro- .vided at its minor end with a cylindricalextension 27 and at/ its major end being tapered as at 28, for a purposeto be presently pointed out. The extension 27 is fitted upon the portion19 of the tubular hand-grip 7 and is held in place thereon by means ofscrews 29. It will be observed that the outer end of the tubular shaft12 is surrounded by the wall of the extension 27 and that this shaftdoes not project into the shell 26. y

The rotatable member of the nozzle consists'of a substantiallyfrusto-conical body having an outer wall 30 and an inner wall 31, thesaid walls being spaced and being braced in their spaced relation bymeans of relatively small posts 32 .'which extendbetween the said walls.The inner wall 31 is conical and its minor end is co-incident with theaxis of the shaft 12, as will be apparent from inspection of Fig. 2. Thewall 30 atits minor end is provided with a substantially .cylindricalextension 33 which is interiorly threaded and fitted onto the threadedportion 25 of the said shaft.- At its major end the wall 30 is slightlytapered as at 34 and it willbe observed that the said Wall is spacedfrom the nozzle casing 26 and that the space between the portions 28 and34 of the said casing and wall 30, respectively, is annular andrelatively narrow so that the water discharged from the nozzle willissue in a lm. As will be observed Vfrom inspection of Fig. 2, the wall31 at its major end joins the wall 30 at the portion 34 thereof and thesaid wall 30 immediately inwardly of its portion 34 is formed with anumber of ports 35 through which water may issue from the space betweenthe walls 30 and 31. The conical wall 31 is formed in its concavity vandat its minor end with a threaded socket 36 into which is removablyfitted the threaded end 37 of a brush spindle 38. The brush carried bythe spindle is indicated at 39 and may be of any well-known or preferredform. The brush 39 however, is of a diameter less than the diameter ofthe portion 34 of the wall 30 and while the one here shown'is relativelyshort, it will be understood that a longer brush may be, and in factwill be, employed, where for example, it is desired to wash the spokesof the vehicle wheels, or to clean other portions of the vehicle whichcannot be conveniently reached by the brush 39.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be understoodthat in the use of the apparatus, water is supplied thereto through thehose 6, and acting upon the motor to actuate the same, is conveyedthrough the tubular shaft 12 to the space between Jthe y Walls 30 and 31of the rotatable member of the nozzle. The water will be discharged fromthe space through ports 35 and will finally issue from the annular spacebetween the portions 28 and 34, in a thin film.

It will be apparent that inasmuch as the' the drawings, and consequentlythe brush will be surrounded and completely inclosed by the film. Itwill be apparent at this point that the water issuing from the nozzle isnot discharged directly upon the brush. @f course, the film thus formedis destroyed in part when the'brush is disposed against the surface tobe cleaned but it will be apparent that water thrown ofin by the brushwill not be discharged with such force as to penetrate the int-actportion of the film and consequently the user of the brush will not beinconvenienced by water being splashed upon him, nor will water bethrown onto portions of the vehicle which it is not desired to wet.

In order that the shaft 12 may be held against rotation while therotatable member of the nozzle is being threaded onto the end thereof,the shaft is formed in its outer side with a socket 40 designed toreceive a stud 41 upon a head 42 which is carried by a leafspring 43secured within the tubular handle 7.y The handle is formed with anopening receiving the said head 42, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, andit will be apparent that under normal conditions the head 12 will be soheld by the spring that the stud will be out of engagement in thesocket, the head being pressed inwardly when it is desired to apply orremove the said member of the nozzle. e

In order to provide against injury to the linish of the vehicle body,should the nozzle of the apparatus come in contact therewith, a butl'erband 44 of rubber, or like material is applied to the fixed member orcasing of the nozzle adjacent to the discharge end thereof,

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. Inwashing apparatus, a cleaning member, and a nozzle having a dischargesurrounding the member and arranged to discharge water in a filmsurrounding but out of contact with the member.

2. In washing apparatus, a fluid motor having a hollow shaft arranged toconvey the exhaust from the lnotor, a cleaning member supported by androtatable with the shaft, and a nozzle supplied by the exhaust from theshaft and having a discharge surrounding the said cleaning member.

3. In washing apparatus, a fluid motor having a hollow shaft arranged toconvey the exhaust from the motor, a nozzle suphaving a hollow shaftarranged yto convey the exhaust from the motor, a nozzle supplied by theexhaust from the shaft and including a rotary member carried by theshaft, and a brush carried by the said shaft and rotated in advance ofthe discharge from the nozzle, the discharge from the nozzle beingarranged to discharge water in a .film surrounding the said cleaningmember.

5. In washing apparatus, a fluid motor including a hollow rotatableelement constituting the exhaust from the motor, a nozzle supplied withexhaust from the said member, the nozzle including a rotatable memberoperating to impart vortical motion to the fluid discharge therefrom,and a cleaning member driven from the motor and located in advance ofthe discharge froln the nozzle.

6. In washing apparatus, a fluid motor including a hollow rotatableelement constituting the exhaust from the motor, a nozzle supplied withexhaust from the said member, the nozzle including a rotatable memberoperating to impart vortical motion to the `fluid discharged therefrom,and a cleaning member driven from the motor located in advance of thedischarge from the nozzle, the said nozzle being arranged to dischargethe fluid in a film surrounding but out of contact with t-he cleaningmember.

7. In washing apparatus, a fluid motor having a hollow shaftconstituting an exhaust, a nozzle supplied by the said shaft, the nozzlecomprising a casing, and a member rotatable within the casing andcarried by the said shaft and having discharge ports located inwardly ofthe nozzle from the nozzle, the nozzle eing arranged to discharge waterin a closed film, and a cleaning membercarried by the rotatable memberof the nozzle and arranged to be surrounded by the said film.

In testimony whereof we allix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

HENRY E. FLACK. JOHN LECHICH.

Witnesses:

ANN B ARUELLER FLAcK, JOHN A. MAY.

